Consequences
by Doctor Kaminari
Summary: A trilogy of songfics dealing with the consequences of a kiss. Spoilers for TTP! A/H
1. Sideways

OK, here it is, the result of my sentimental moment, and also my very first songfic! I had to listen to Snow Patrol albums to keep the mindset going, as well as some stuff by the legendary Carlos Santana, which this story is based on :-D

This fic is based on 'Sideways' by Citizen Cope ft. Santana, and it follows Artemis' thoughts about the events during TTP. Spoilers alert!

Thanks to Vivian Verbose for the beta!

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl, Holly Short, or any other AF references I may have made. I also do not own the song 'Sideways', which I think is brilliant.

* * *

Sideways

(Citizen Cope ft. Santana)

_You know it __ain't easy  
For these thoughts here to leave me_

Months had passed since their trip through time to save Jayjay, but the memory was still fresh in Artemis' mind. None more so than a brief moment in the holding pen of Rathdown Park; although to him, that moment had lasted an eternity.

He knew it was wrong. He knew it could never be. And it was breaking his heart.

He sat back in the leather chair in his study, distractedly running his fingers through his raven-black hair. His mind took him back to that moment, which had been so magical, both metaphorically and literally. He had just returned from the dead; she had saved his life again. And then…

_There __are no words to describe it  
In French or in English_

His first kiss. How ironic that it was with the fairy he had kidnapped all those years ago. And yet, it had felt so _right_. She had seemed so…human.

A halo of magic had engulfed them, accentuating the moment: her lips, so soft, so sensual. The blue sparks too, around the moment of contact, not healing, but their mere presence a physical sign of… Of what? Relief? Fulfillment? Love?

Artemis tried to shake these thoughts from his head, but without success. His mind turned to the other girl in his life.

_What about Minerva?_ he asked himself, his mind conjuring up an image of the beautiful mastermind who loved him. _Do I not love her?_

His answer disturbed him. _No, I don't. I love…_

He stopped himself before going too far.

_'cause diamonds they fade  
And flowers they bloom  
And I'm telling you  
_

_The time stream, _he thought, standing and approaching the full-length mirror in his room. _It made her younger, more emotionally unstable. She…she wasn't herself. She couldn't have been. Could she?_

He stared at his reflection, concentrating on his mismatched eyes. _A part of her in me, a part of me in her,_ thought Artemis, then turned abruptly from the mirror. _No. If I continue like this, it will tear me apart. I must… concentrate on something else. Anything else. _

_These feelings won't go away  
They've been knockin' me sideways  
They've been knockin' me out lately  
Whenever you come around me  
_

He switched on his computer, forcing himself to focus on something else. Perhaps a quick examination of his bank balance would lighten his mood, turn his attention elsewhere. It usually worked.

Not this time. Artemis sighed dejectedly, and sat back in his chair.

He didn't deserve her, not after what he'd done. He'd betrayed her. Hurt her. Guilt, a feeling he had never truly felt before, had hit him full force during those moments of deception. He had hated himself for it, and still did. Considering that he had often pushed morality aside to achieve his goals, its sudden prominence in his mind came as a shock. It was just one of the effects the elfin captain had had on him after their many adventures together.

His idea of contacting the late commander Root by hologram may have mended things between them to an extent, but he knew they would never be close again. It was better than he deserved, and yet he felt so lost, so alone. So desperate.

Perhaps it was the best for both of them.

_These feelings wo__n't go away  
They've been knockin' me sideways  
I keep thinking in a moment that  
Time will take them away  
_

Night had fallen, and the pale moonlight illuminated the prodigy's equally pale face. To his surprise, a single tear rolled down his cheek. It felt warm upon his face, a stark contrast to the chill of regret and longing in his heart.

He wanted to shout in anguish; he desperately wanted to find her, tell her how he felt about her… And yet, he knew he couldn't; and if he did, what then? There was no "happily-ever-after" in real life, no fairytale endings. Love couldn't conquer all; not if it was one-sided, anyway.

'_Time cures everything', _Artemis thought to himself. _But what is the cure? Death?_

He composed himself, wiping away the tear. Checking himself in the mirror once more, he straightened his tie.

_No one must ever know_, he thought to himself. _Especially not her. Not Holly. _

_But these feelings won't go away__…_

* * *

What do you think? Should I continue writing songfics and other sentimental material, or should I stick with my normal work? R&R!

A chapter from Holly's PoV is on its way...


	2. Love of My Life

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you're all having a nice holiday so far! Well, here it is, as promised: Holly's PoV! It doesn't have a Christmas theme, but then again, do the People celebrate Christmas?

This is a serious spoiler for TTP, so don't read if you haven't read the book! Thanks again to Vivian Verbose for the beta.

Disclaimer: As I've said before, I do not own Artemis Fowl, Holly Short, or any other AF references I may have made. I also do not own the song 'Love of my Life' - funnily enough, it was on the same album as the previous song...

* * *

Love of my Life

(Dave Matthews)

_Where you are, that's where I wanna be  
And through your eyes, all the things I wanna see_

Holly awoke, gasping. After a brief pause, she collapsed back onto her bed, and glanced over at the clock: 3:15am. Groaning, she closed her eyes and swore.

The past few weeks had been very hectic for Captain Holly Short, and the future didn't seem too promising either. The Opal from the past was still on the loose, and although security had been tightened around the one imprisoned in Atlantis, the elf knew it was only a matter of time before both wretched pixies were free and causing havoc. That meant another plan to destroy/rule the world to prevent, and another adventure that would take her all over the world…

_With him,_ Holly thought, before she could stop herself. She immediately scolded herself, and tried to get back to sleep.

"He's popping up way too often…" she mumbled, as she pulled the blanket over herself.

_And in the night, you are my dream  
You're everything to me_

Holly cracked open an eye to check the time: 3:17am. Judging that she wouldn't be able to catch any more sleep, Holly grudgingly rolled off her bed, and sat on the edge, silent in thought. She could hear the quiet bustling of fairies going about their business, even at such an ungodly hour; the people who called New York 'the city that never sleeps' had obviously never seen Haven.

She stood up, stretched, and made her way over to the shower. Maybe a blast of hot water would clear her head.

"That _d'arviting _dream again," she muttered, to no one in particular, as she stepped into the small bathroom.

_You're the love of my life  
And the breath in my prayers_

As Holly stepped under the hot spray, she thanked Frond for the constant hot water a fairy could get Haven – it was absolutely rejuvenating. Unfortunately, it seemed to be doing nothing to clear her head.

As she grabbed her shampoo, she replayed in her mind an event from months ago (or rather, nearly eight years ago), for what was probably the billionth time…

Holly could clearly remember the situation: she, Artemis and Mulch had arrived in the wrong holding pen while searching for Jayjay the lemur, and they were paying the price. Mulch was already out for the count, and Artemis had just been forcibly introduced to a two-hundred kilo Ugandan mountain gorilla. If he didn't receive help soon, it would be too late.

She could also remember the multitude of feelings that had flooded over her: panic, the sense of being out of her depth, dread… She knew she had been younger, more emotionally unstable – but they only sounded like excuses to her.

At least she'd had some sense, chasing the gorilla away with her magical gift of tongues. But then, having saved Artemis from almost certain death, she'd done something unthinkable.

_Take my hand, lead me there  
What I need is you here_

Holly stepped out of the shower, shaking her head. Her auburn hair, usually in a distinctly unfeminine buzz cut, was growing longer, much to the delight of the jocks at the LEP. She made sure to never show interest in any of them, no matter how hard they tried; unfortunately, that just made them try harder, especially one Corporal Chix Verbil.

Even Foaly had asked her why she always rejected offers for dates, although jokingly at first...

_"Who're you waiting for exactly, Holly?" Foaly asked, grinning as he watched his friend struggle to keep her face straight._

_"I have no idea what you're talking about, Foaly," she replied, hastily taking a sip from her nettle smoothie._

_"I mean, are you waiting for your knight in shining armour, as the Mud Men say?" he continued, undeterred. "I can't imagine that being the case, but surely you're not planning to spend the rest of your life alone?"_

_"And why not?" Holly asked contemptuously. To her surprise, Foaly suddenly became very serious._

_"Because being lonely is one of the worst feelings in the world," replied the centaur, leaning forward. "And good people don't deserve to be lonely, especially not you, Holly."_

_Keeping her emotions in check, she patted her friend's hand._

_"And I thought elves were emotional creatures," she said, smiling sadly._

She knew that Foaly cared for her, but Holly could never bring herself to talk to him about what she'd done in Rathdown Park; not now, not ever.

_I can't forget the taste of your mouth  
From your lips the heavens pour out_

_I kissed him!_ thought Holly to herself, as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. _I kissed a Mud Boy, and of all the people it could've been, it had to be Artemis…_

She knew she should feel disgusted and ashamed; younger or not, what she'd done was utterly unacceptable. And on top of all that, he'd lied to her! Lied to her about giving his mother Spelltropy, tricking her into coming with him through time…

And yet, however much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she could never quite shake the feeling that, in her heart, what had happened in the gorilla cage hadn't been wrong at all; in fact, it had almost felt… right.

"No!" she cried, and instinctively lashed out. The mirror in front of her splintered into a thousand pieces, and her reflection with it.

_I can't forget when we are one  
With you alone I am free_

Holly collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. She usually never allowed herself the liberty of crying, but right then, she didn't have the strength to stop herself. All the stress and frustration of the past few weeks came flooding out as she let the tears flow from her eyes. It was at times like these that she realized just how lonely she was, and she hated herself for it.

She looked at her hand; several tiny pieces of glass jutted from her knuckles, and it hurt like hell. Thank Frond she was running hot, because this would've been very difficult to explain at the office.

She held out her hand at arm's length and whispered, "Heal". She watched as blue sparks rushed along her arm to the damage, and winced as the shards of glass slowly forced their way out of her skin, falling to the floor. She sighed, and leant back against the wall.

Composing herself, Holly stood up and slowly washed her face in the basin. She looked at her watch: 3:30am.

_We go dancing in the moonlight  
With the starlight in your eyes_

Holly zipped the jumpsuit up to her neck. She knew she didn't need to leave for another couple of hours, but she wanted to do something – _anything_ – to take her mind off Artemis, and that dream…

It was always the same: every night, when she closed her eyes, she would find herself in the large ballroom in Fowl Manor...

Dressed in a beautiful emerald dress, she can hear the _Blue Danube __Waltz_ playing in the background and turns to find Artemis standing next to her, dressed smartly in a dinner jacket, smiling. And not his trademark vampire smile, either: a genuine, sincere smile that somehow always makes her heart melt.

He takes her hand and leads her into the centre of the ballroom. She's the same height as Artemis, she notices, as they begin to dance. She smiles, as she realizes that Artemis is a much better dancer than she thought he would be; the young prodigy notes this, and grins. When she looks around again, they are outside in the garden, and moonlight shines down brightly on the couple.

The music comes to an abrupt stop, and they are left standing very close to one another, so close that she can feel his breath on her skin; she leans forward, surprised by her own boldness…

It was always then that she woke up, whether at three in the morning, or five minutes before work. And it drove her mad.

She checked herself one more time in the mirror, making sure that there was no evidence left from her emotional outburst.

_No one must ever know_, Holly thought to herself. _Especially not him. Not Artemis. _

_We go dancing 'ti__l the sunrise  
You and me we're gonna dance, dance, dance…_

* * *

Well, there you go. There may or may not be a third part (I'll leave it up to you to guess what might happen in it), but right now I need to concentrate more on my other AF story, the **Drifter Phenomenon**, which is the sequel to my previous AF adventure story, the **Ark of Triumph**. Why not go ahead and read it before the sequel comes out? I mean, it's finished and everything...

Yes, that was a shameless plug of my other story; don't worry, you'll get over it. :-D

Back to the subject: please review!


	3. Gravity

Two years or so later, here we are again. This came surprisingly easily, considering how long it had been since I'd last written any fics - I suppose I was greatly helped by the fact that I knew exactly where I was going with this one, and which song to use (thanks to AgiVega and Vivian Verbose respectively). Anyway, here's what everyone's been waiting for: Artemis and Holly, alone together... What could happen?

One final time: here be spoilers for TTP, if you _still _haven't read it. Also, this will _not _spoil The Atlantic Complex for you, as at the time of writing this I haven't read it yet: the situation here is merely speculation. Thanks to Holly Marie Fowl for the beta!

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl, Holly Short or any other related wonderful things, which is probably for the best. I also do not own the song 'Gravity', although I do think I am hopelessly in love with Sara Bareilles... Seriously, if you haven't listened to her music, drop everything and buy her album, right now. You won't regret it.

* * *

Gravity

(Sara Bareilles)

_Somethi__ng always brings me back to you  
__It never takes too long  
__No matter what I say or do  
__I'll still feel y__ou here 'til the moment I'm gone_

Another threat, another adventure: for what seemed liked the umpteenth time Artemis and Holly, against all the odds, had saved the world. As they lay side by side on the artificial beach of Atlantis, drenched from head to toe and bruised all over, the prodigy couldn't help but smile.

"What're you grinning about?" asked Holly half-grumpily, clearly exhausted. She couldn't help herself, though – she was smiling too.

"Another antagonist in custody, another insurmountable threat averted," answered Artemis, shifting his body so he was facing her on his side. "One could almost say there is a pattern emerging."

"You forgot the part where I save your life every time."

"Quite. But without me you would have drowned back at the prison, which…"

"Still means you owe me. Big time," she interrupted, her mismatched eyes twinkling. Artemis chuckled, letting himself fall back onto his back with a small _thump_. They fell silent once more, with only the soothing sound of waves clashing against the beach and the faraway echoes of sirens in the air.

_You hold me without touch  
__You keep me without chains  
__I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love  
__A__nd not feel your rain_

Holly let her gaze wander to the atmospheric shell holding the mighty sea at bay, enjoying the brief moment of peace before Trouble came inevitably a-calling. She felt strangely at ease, as if nothing could hurt her; at least, not with Artemis by her side.

It dawned on the Captain that no one else in or under the world made her feel quite so secure, just by being there. She cared for him more deeply than she would ever care to admit, least of all to Artemis himself; even when he had lied to her and betrayed her during their adventure through time, she had known she could never truly hate him. When he admitted his guilt to her then, for a while she had been ashamed that she had allowed herself to place her faith in the prodigy above her own judgment – while she gave the impression of resentment, however, there had been no such sentiment in her heart. In fact, she had been relieved when he had attempted to reconcile her by suggesting contacting Julius one last time – it had been an excuse to begin talking to him again, since she had already forgiven him a long time before then.

Holly glanced at the prodigy lying next to her, his eyes closed and reveling in the peace the beach offered. His forehead was free of its characteristic frown, and his rhythmic breathing suggested that he had fallen asleep. The sight reminded her of that moment…

_No_, she thought to herself, swiftly turning away and returning her gaze to the 'sky'. _Not again_. She was too late, however, as the moment forced itself back to the forefront of her mind, almost torturing her by replaying itself again and again.

_Why do you do this to me?_, Holly thought to herself. In her mind's eye she was in the cage again, her hands holding his face, her younger self being overcome by the feelings she had been denying for so long...

Another question arose in her mind, which frightened her:

_**H**__**ow**__ do you do this to me?_

_Set me free, leave me be  
__I don't want to fall an__other moment into your gravity  
__Here I am and I stand so tall, __just the way I'm supposed to be  
__But y__ou're on to me and all over me_

Unknown to Holly, Artemis was very much awake, inconspicuously studying her expression. It wasn't very often that he could simply relax and let his guard down – his choice of lifestyle made that simply impossible.

In the short space of just three years, Holly Short had become an integral part of young Artemis' life. She was the elf to whom he owed his life and the lives of those he loved; the Captain with whom he had saved the world time and time again; and the woman who had occupied his thoughts ever since they had first met. He felt she knew him better than anyone, except perhaps Butler – and yet, he felt he could never be truly honest with her. He always used the façade of his genius to hide his emotions, emotions he could never reveal.

_Why not?_ wondered Artemis.

_You betrayed__ her, you fool, _came the reply. _You should think yourself fortunate she even speaks to you in the first place. And why would she want to hear about your soppy, hormonal "feelings" anyway? You should have control over that by now. _

_A matter of pride, then. _

Conversations of this nature took place very often within Artemis' mind; after all, who else could he talk to about such things? He suspected Butler had an inkling about the situation, but was relieved that his friend and manservant had not decided to force the issue.

Artemis noticed a frown form on Holly's forehead as she turned her gaze to the sky once more, and instantly found himself both curious and worried.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his eyes still seemingly closed. He smirked as Holly turned to face him in surprise.

"Have you been watching me, Mud Boy?" she asked, a touch testily. Much to her annoyance, the smirk remained on his face as his eyes flicked open, his mismatched eyes finding hers.

"Perhaps. It's a very useful trick, you know. People say and do the most interesting things when they think you are not listening."

Holly fell silent again, mesmerized by his gaze. Without thinking, she asked,

"Do you love me?"

_You loved me 'cause I'm frag__ile  
__Wh__en I thought that I was strong  
__But you touch me for a little while and a__ll my fragile strength is gone_

Silence fell. Artemis swallowed anxiously, but didn't dare to move his gaze from Holly's. They lay there for what seemed like eternity, when she sighed dejectedly and sat up.

"Forget it," she muttered, bringing her legs closer and leaning her chin on her knees. "Forget I ever asked." She glanced at him again for a moment. "Please."

Artemis was staggered that, for all his intellect, he was speechless. His thoughts were suddenly in disarray – a rare first for a genius of his calibre. And yet, there was an overwhelming sense of… relief.

He quickly picked himself up and kneeled in front of Holly. She didn't lift her gaze from her feet, until he gingerly reached forward and touched her cheek.

"Oh, Holly," he muttered, running a slender finger along her elfin jaw, stopping at her chin to lift her face towards his. "You are always so brave, so strong… Never allowing yourself the liberty of truly expressing your emotions." The elf shook her head and leaned back, away from the boy. Her gaze returned to her feet.

"I don't need a psychological analysis, Artemis."

"No, of course not. You need an answer."

"I said forget it, remember? It was a stupid question."

Artemis sighed, rubbing his chin. "Why must you withdraw into your shell, Holly? I want to know…"

"You want to know _everything_, don't you!" Holly's eyes suddenly flashed with anger. "You and your damn genius, you can't take not understanding how people work, as if they're just… _things _to study!"

Her outburst hit Artemis hard. He couldn't bring himself to argue, since he knew she was right. Perhaps not completely, as she had made him better than that, but still…

His shoulders slumped forward, and as his gaze fell towards the sand, a solitary tear rolled down his cheek. It reminded him of that night, when he had sworn to himself in front of the mirror: _No one must ever know. Especially not her. Not Holly. _

Time seemed to slow as the tear left his face and fell towards the ground. He made his choice.

Artemis lifted his gaze to find Holly staring at him, shock gracing her features, an apology on her lips. She didn't move when he inched forward, and slowly reached to cradle her face in his hands. Their blue and hazel eyes locked on to each other's.

"I am so sorry…" he whispered, and kissed her.

_I live here on my knees as I try to make you see  
__That you're everything I think I need  
__Here on the ground_

The kiss was more, so much more than it had been in Rathdown Park. Holly could feel the intensity of the magical corona surrounding them, and each contact brought magical sparks which only heightened the experience. She could _feel _him, not just his soft lips on hers, his hands on her face, but as if they were back in the time stream, sharing their thoughts and memories.

Holly let her guard collapse, allowing him in, and was relieved to find Artemis doing the same. They saw and understood each other, who they really were, how they truly felt about the other. She saw his tearful torment and his inability to banish her from his thoughts that night, while he saw her outburst in her apartment and her splintered reflection; both pledging to never reveal themselves to one another, and yet here they were, baring their innermost secrets. As they watched their first kiss back in the gorilla enclosure together, a realisation hit her: _I guess I can't blame it on being younger any more. _She felt him chuckle.

Suddenly, the halo beginning to fade as Holly pulled away. Artemis' eyes flickered open, worried.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled, easing his fears. "I do need to breathe you know, Arty."

They sat facing each other, the silence no longer awkward or cold. She smiled, her hand lingering on his face.

"I guess that's a yes, then," said Holly, almost tenderly.

"Absolutely. No more hiding." Another pause.

"Are all kisses like this for the People?" asked Artemis. She laughed – curious as ever.

"No, luckily, or we'd have some seriously dozy lovers. More than they usually are, anyway."

"So, that was…"

"Special. More special than you could know."

His smile grew wider, so genuine and so sincere, like the one from her dream – it made her heart melt so effortlessly.

"I think I do. I saw your thoughts, remember?"

_But you're neither friend nor foe tho__ugh I can't seem to let you go  
__The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down__…_

Holly's smile turned melancholy, and Artemis knew exactly what had crossed her mind.

"Arty…"

"No, Holly. It can work. We can make it work."

Her eyes were pleading with him now. "Please, you have to understand. What we have is so precious, so beautiful, but we can't keep it. We're not ready. The _world_ isn't ready."

"I think the world owes us a favour, considering the number of times we have saved it. Why not be selfish, just this once?"

She took his hands in hers, despite his being clearly bigger, and sighed.

"You're so young. You have years ahead of you to meet new people, to find someone to love. Someone human."

Artemis frowned. "Somehow I suspect no human will be as beautiful or as brilliant as you. I will forever be comparing every woman I meet with you, and I'm sure no one will come close."

The elf placed a finger on his lips, stopping him. A tear trickled down her cheek, which he instinctively wiped off with his thumb.

"You have no idea how incredible that makes me feel, Arty, but we can't. Friendship is the closest we can get, and I know you understand that."

Artemis leaned forward and hugged her tightly. When he pulled back, he also had a sad smile on his face.

"As you wish, Holly," he said, standing. He graciously offered his hand, and helped her up too. "I think we should rejoin our friends before their curiosity gets the better of them." She nodded, but didn't let go of his hand, and they began walking away from the beach hand in hand.

Artemis glanced towards Holly. "Just one more question," he said.

"Shoot."

"Are my elf-kissing day over?"

Holly grinned, debating whether to punch him or kiss him. She decided for the latter, pulling him towards her playfully and giving him a peck on the cheek. Just in case.

"Never."

_Something always brings me back to you  
__I__t never takes too long…_

_

* * *

_

FIN

_

* * *

_

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little trilogy of songfics. I think this is a good place for it to end, although if you have any ideas for future chapters or good songs to use then please leave them in a review. Thanks for reading!


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